Joan Laporta I was in dire need of learn first-hand what had happened inside the dressing room last season and why it had ended in such a disappointing and frustrating way in every way. Hence, the president, as AS has learned, summoned one of the heavyweights of the squad and member of the captains quartet, Gerard Piqué, about ten days ago to make him a real and precise diagnosis of all the events that they occurred last year. Laporta wanted to know all the details to try to remedy for next season.
Likewise, the leader took advantage of his meeting with Piqué to Get the locker room opinion on Ronald Koeman. It must be remembered that Laporta had given himself a period of fifteen days to make “a deep reflection” on who had to occupy the bench next season and that his objective was “Unify all the criteria”. Well, one of the criteria he had to make the final assessment of the Dutchman's continuity was that of Piqué, who, according to the final decision, presumably the Catalan center-back should have been in favor.
Not only sporting aspects were analyzed but also Laporta wanted to delve into the rest of the areas that revolve around the first team, including the more than discussed medical services, to better understand the reality that the first team is experiencing.
And in the conversation there was also time to talk about the future of Gerard Piqué. The central defender was very understanding about the serious economic crisis that the club is going through – not in vain he also presides over a football team, Andorra-, so opened the possibility of a reformulation of his current contract, which currently revolves around some 16 million euros gross. Piqué would be willing to largely reduce the fixed wage bill and transfer a significant amount to targets.
So that, Everything indicates that Piqué will be the first sacred cow in the dressing room to set an example and reduce his salary mass. In theory, the club trusts that others, such as Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, also accept the same formula, while in the case of Sergi Roberto, everything indicates that his destiny is very far from FC Barcelona.
Likewise, the continuity of Piqué leaves very little room for maneuver when it comes to emptying the roster of centrals in the first team. With the signing of Eric García, there are currently a total of six, four rights (Piqué, Eric, Araújo and Mingueza) and two left (Umtiti and Lenglet). In any case, taking into account the youth of Araújo and Mingueza, everything indicates that the two indicated by the sports area are the two French centrals. Hence, the option of a barter with City for the left-handed center-back Aymeric Laporte is already being discussed, with the priority objective of releasing both Lenglet and Umtiti.